Darlington

Elwood · August 31, 2001

From Yahoo Sports :

" Darlington Raceway not like the others

By PETE IACOBELLI

AP Sports Writer

August 31, 2001

DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) -- They don't build tracks like Darlington anymore. Then again, why would anyone want to?

``If Darlington Raceway was just joining the circuit now, everybody would probably look at it and say it was a perfect waste of good money,'' driver Mike Wallace said. ``To me, there's just no reason to build a race track like that in today's era.''

Darlington is an oddball in NASCAR's growing world of corporate palaces. The circuit shows up there again this week for the Southern 500, still considered a racer's race.

NASCAR's oldest superspeedway was built in the late 1940s when Harold Brasington bulldozed some farmland. But he wanted to keep a fishing pond on the property, creating the trickiest turn four in the business.

``It comes out on you from nowhere,'' said Bobby Labonte, who won the rain-shortened Southern 500 a year ago.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. singled out Darlington in a recent Playboy Magazine interview as NASCAR's worst track.

``It's old. It's egg-shaped. It's full of seashells,'' he continued. ``They use crushed rock and seashells in the asphalt mix. It's so coarse, you get awesome grip for four or five laps. But then your tires wear off and you're sliding around trying not to hit something. Go out on that track and rub your hand on it. It will actually cut you.''

Little E, in town to promote the Southern 500 last week, was asked playfully by Darlington public relations director Cathy Mock for a retraction.

``How can you get more honest than that?'' Earnhardt said.

Earnhardt hasn't yet found the love for Darlington held by his late father, Dale Earnhardt.

The senior Earnhardt won nine times here, one shy of David Pearson's record.

Dale Jr. remembers listening to his dad point out the best line around the creaky track.

``This was an important place to him,'' Earnhardt Jr. said.

If Earnhardt Jr. doesn't master ``The Track Too Tough To Tame,'' he'll join other famous sons of racing families like Richard and Kyle Petty, who just get can't get going at Darlington. Four generations of Pettys have just three Darlington victories.

Kyle Petty said he remembered as a child playing football in the Darlington infield while his father was racing. Now, as a driver, ``there are some times I think football in the infield would be a whole lot more fun,'' he said.

Petty has talked in the past of demolishing Darlington and starting over. But he says the oddness of the oval makes this an important stop.

``Different is good, I think,'' he said. ``It helps our sport, and the fans like the difference.''

In what other sport, Petty says, can you go from Michigan's disjointed D shape to Bristol's high-banked bowl to Darlington's egg, which ``in a lot of ways seems like somebody's idea of a practical joke.''

Talk rises up each year that Darlington's past its prime and will never match newer, fan-friendly places like Chicagoland Speedway and Kansas Speedway, which came online this season. The track's two races seem to be safe again for the 2002 schedule.

``It's like going to Fenway Park or Churchill Downs for fans,'' said International Speedway Corp. vice president Jim Hunter, Darlington president from 1993 to this past March. ``Darlington is almost like the Colosseum in Rome.''

Mike Wallace, whose racing brother Rusty won a Winston Cup title, but never a Darlington race, says the track is fine and he loves the heritage. ``I'm glad it's on the schedule, but I know, too, that there's no way anybody could build a place like that today.'' "

I don't know about anybody else, but it sounds to me like this another story trying to lead NASCAR to the elimination of another historic track. I've been to Darlington a few times. The first three or four races I ever attended was there. It is an awesome track. I love it. I think it time the fans start letting NASCAR know that we like the new tracks, BUT NOT AT THE EXSPENSE OF THE OLD ONES.

Like I mentioned before there would be nothing wrong with only having one race at each track, if it meant keeping the olds as well as the new. I think we should all let NASCAR know how we feel about this, whether you agree or disagree with me. If anyone knows how we can do this please let us all know. And if I find out how before someone else I'll be sure to let everyone know.

Do we really want to watch the tradition of this great sport be taken away little by little??????

If Darlington was so important to such a great racer as Dale Earnhardt, then that should tell us how important it is to the sport itself.

MountaineerTom · September 2, 2001

Darlington is one of my favorite tracks too. It was the first track I went to also. As a matter of fact, Elwood was proabably right next to me. (Bill, I can't remember if you went the very first time that we all went together.) I certainly hope NASCAR doesn't drop it sometime in the future. I like the two races there each year, but as long as there is at least one, that would be better than none. That track is so unique and the history there is great. Nothing like seeing them dive into the turns and slide up the track, almost hitting the wall and then riding it out just inches from the wall. Not to mention the way passes occur alot of the time going into what is now turn 1. Someone diving down low to pass the car in front of them, then slides up the track allowing the car he just passed, to pass him back, lap after lap. I love it!

burgundyz71 · September 2, 2001

I'll take a race at Darlington any day over one at one of these Lowes wanna be's

September 2, 2001

Congrats to Ward Burton and the Cat Team for their win today!

It was an awesome race.

When Robert Pressley hit the wall, I guess it was his submarine belt that caught him. OUCH!!! (hold legs together)

I have never seen the battery knocked out of a car before!

Jpshostr · September 2, 2001

My main man Ward finally pulled one off, I knew it would happen, when was the question. I only saw the last third of the race, but boy did I enjoy it. Not often does one see the top four spots being taken up by four different makes. See General, I told you Dodge would turn it around and become a contender!

MountaineerTom · September 2, 2001

Great race. Congrats to Ward Burton.

1.) Kurt Busch did really well for a rookie until his car problems. He was around te top five and leading quite a bit until then.

2.) How about Ward Burton holding his line on the outside of Jeff Gordon and holding on to the lead sometime there in the last 50 or so laps.

3.) I bet Jr. didn't have many friends afterwards with all the taps he was giving out. Too bad Dave Blaney got into him at the end.

DigUout · September 3, 2001

Burton, Gordon and Labonte played a great game of cat and mouse for the last 50 or 60 laps. Nice finish even with the delay and last couple of wrecks. Pressley looked scary, stumbling to and hanging on that wall. Better luck next time Jr. -

Jpshostr · September 3, 2001

Quote: from MountaineerTom 99Z71 on 5:05 pm on Sep. 2, 2001
2.) How about Ward Burton holding his line on the outside of Jeff Gordon and holding on to the lead sometime there in the last 50 or so laps.

Boy, I bet he was puckering up there! I don't know how he did it, even with new tires and all.

Kansas Kid · September 3, 2001

It was nice to see old Ward Burton finally win one this year. I really like that guy, it just to bad he drives a Dodge.

I'm still trying to figure out what that moron teammate of his was doing with 2 laps to go. I can't believe he actually thought he could drive down on the apron like that and not wreck. Heck, he took out more cars in one try then Jr. did in the whole race. I bet there was alot of people unhappy with him yesterday afternoon.